Walking: The Forgotten Fundamental Of Fat Loss

Back in the day, there were no gyms. Our ancestors weren't pounding weights to stay lean. They sprinted to catch prey, carried their belongings and walked miles to colonize harsh terrain. That's all they did. They ate when they were hungry, slept when the sun went down and moved a lot. Fast forward to our generation; we have our food home-delivered, drive to work and sleep when the sun comes up. We have completely detached ourselves from what was actually embedded in our genetic design. The best weight loss tool, that was ‘inbuilt' in human DNA, is being ignored. Walking is now a forgotten 'science' of fat loss.

In The Absence Of Walking

There was a time when people would walk for miles on end. Not as an exercise but just as a regular locomotive activity. Contrary to that, people today hardly walk. Even to get to a destination that's merely 500 meters away, we prefer to hop into a vehicle. Our lifestyle, predominantly, is just sitting, eating and sleeping. All physical activities have been reduced to nothing. Not to mention this ‘movement-less' ecosystem is supported with very poor food choices. What follows is obesity, a domino effect of illnesses, poor mental health and an inferiority complex. You visit the doctor, he tells you to start walking more. You don't, of course, and the vicious cycle of ill health starts.

The Benefits Of Walking Are Underrated

Keeping in mind the science behind human biomechanics and locomotion, walking is categorically the best thing humans can do for overall good health and fat loss. But ‘detox juices and shit bag diet selling companies will never let you near these facts. Credible research is always snubbed. They'll lure you into buying fat-loss pills and wonder medicines and trainers will throw fancy workouts at you. The benefits of walking are underrated. Nobody talks about it as much as it's needed. Here's how simply walking more can do wonders for you-

1) Walking, unlike any other exercise, adds very little stress to the body. It pushes your body but doesn't push it past your limits, like running does.

2) Unlike distance running, distance walking is not counterproductive to muscle health. The amount of cortisol (stress hormone) production remains controlled. It's hard to do too much walking. It's very easy to run too much.

3) It makes you feel good. It improves blood flow to the brain and aligns the nerves.

4) It vastly improves your stamina. Now, don't expect to run a marathon by walking regularly. What I mean here is that it will increase your VO2 max i.e. your body's ability to make the best use of oxygen. You will just be better at everyday moving and won't find yourself panting!

5) It is functional, UNLIKE a lot of ‘circus like workouts people do these days' in the name of functional fitness. In fact, it is the single most functional activity humans can do, since it serves the basic purpose of survival.

6) Your joint health will improve. Running will ruin it!

7) Unlike running, which breaks down muscle amino acids to produce glycogen when done on an empty stomach, walking doesn't do that. So if you strength train, you are safe.

Get Walking. Kill Fat. Preserve Muscle.

Even if you are not into weight training, you must be aware of the fact that ‘more muscle, burns more fat'. Now, how is walking a better fat tool for fat loss than steady state running? First off- walking is low intensity cardio. Of course, low intensity cardio won't burn as many calories but walking everyday for at least 4 hours (not at once, obviously) will compound into greater and lasting fat loss. If you lift, adding cardio on a calorie restricted diet will be too much to cope for your body. Add incline walking instead.

When Do I Walk?

If you are predominantly a lethargic person, just walk whenever you get the chance. This is your starting point. Just move more. If you are an active person, again, make it a point to walk more and add incline walking to the mix. If you are a lifter and trying to lose fat, walking while fasting is ideal for you. Add incline decline variations to your workouts as well.